Interview with Author – Alexandrea Weis

About Alexandrea Weis:
From New Orleans, Alexandrea Weis was raised in the motion picture industry and began writing stories at the age of eight. In college she studied nursing and went on to teach at a local university. After several years in the medical field, she decided to pick up the pen once again and began her first novel, To My Senses. Since that time she has published many novels. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning books, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story memorable. Her work has been critically acclaimed and has been continually growing in popularity.
Alexandrea Weis is also a certified/permitted wildlife rehabber with the La. Wildlife and Fisheries. When she is not writing, she rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She is married; they live in New Orleans.

What inspires you to write?
Anything. A song, a picture, a line form a film. I can find inspiration for a book anywhere. Stories are always flying into my head, especially when I drive. Even when I get stuck on a storyline, I go for a drive and work it out.

Tell us about your writing process.
I really don’t have a process per say. I just write. I do not plot out books or make a lot of notes. I just write. I have an initial idea for a story and I go from there. The story unfolds as I write it and I love that process. Hey, I even surprise myself when I write. I can never know where a book may lead.

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I think I allow the characters to run the show. Sometimes I feel like I am channeling, but they do come through. Some more than others. Many have stuck with me for a very long time. The ones you want to write about again and again. Those are the best kinds of characters.

What advice would you give other writers?
Write. Just write. Don’t take any classes because invariably the person teaching the class will adapt your voice to theirs. Just start writing and you will get better as you go, but be prepared, it is a long process. Like winning an Olympic gold medal, it does not happen overnight and can be very frustrating. Just give yourself time and always be open to learn new things. Everything you learn, make you a better writer.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I started out publishing books before Kindle came along. Bit what I wanted was for my stories to find readers. For my characters to be discovered. No one goes into he is for the money, and if you do you are in it for the wrong reasons. It’s all about the story, sharing it, giving it legs, and watching it grow.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think there will be an inevitable downsizing. The indie market blew up overnight, but I think the weeding out of authors is at hand. It can’t sustain the numbers out there, and I think things will go back to being smaller, not in the hands of the Big 6 like it used to be. But a smaller version of what exists now.

What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers

What genres do you write?: Romance, erotic Romance, Paranormal Romance